Brooks leads PSU Football past Mount Ida

PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Junior quarterback J.J.
Brooks (Seabrook, N.H./Winnacunnet) completed 8-of-9
passes for 154 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a
pair of scores Saturday afternoon as Plymouth State
University downed Mount Ida College, 34-16, in a non-conference
football game at Currier Field.

PSU recorded its 13th consecutive home victory, dating
back to 2006, and evened its season record at 1-1. Mount Ida
dropped its second straight and fell to 0-2. The Panthers
avenged last year's 24-7 Mustang victory in Newton, Mass., which
ended up as the only blemish on PSU's regular season schedule.

Junior running back Steve Campbell (Northborough,
Mass./Algonquin), who missed last week's season opener with an
injury, rushed 20 times for 130 yards in his 2009 Panther debut.

The outcome spoiled a solid day by Mount Ida sophomore running back
Johrone Bunch (Meriden, Conn./F.T. Maloney), who rushed for 151
yards and two touchdowns and completed 2-of-4 passes for 11 yards.

The teams traded first-quarter touchdown runs, Brooks scoring on a
five-yard burst for PSU and Bunch rambling in from 23 yards out to
tie the game at 7-7. Brooks capped a 90-yard Panther drive
with a three-yard TD run early in the second quarter, and Bunch
again answered for the Mustangs with a 19-yard rushing touchdown.
Mount Ida botched the extra point attempt, leaving PSU with a 14-13
advantage.

Sophomore Christian Mulcahy (Norwich, Conn.)
returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown to put the
home team ahead at halftime, 21-13.

Mount Ida freshman Matt Beale (Meriden, Conn.) booted a 28-yard
field goal midway through the third quarter, but PSU responded with
a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brooks to junior John
Creamer (Hanover, Mass.) late in the third to make it a
27-16 game.

PSU clinched the win when junior Chris Francher
(Weare, N.H.) scored on a three-yard run with 6:45 left in the
game.

The Panthers outgained the Mustangs in total yards by a 362-274
count. Junior Julien Baptiste (Greenlawn, N.Y.) topped the
visiting defense with 11 tackles, including seven solo.
Junior Zach Parsons (Florence, Mass.) led PSU with
eight tackles (seven solo) and an interception.

PSU is home again next Saturday, hosting Coast Guard at 1:00 p.m.
at Currier Field. Mount Ida returns to Massachusetts for next
Saturday's home opener and its first East Coast Football Conference
game against Gallaudet (1:00 p.m.)